Once Upon A Wondrous Love (A Once Upon A Time Fanfiction)

Chapter Eighteen: Shocking Discovery

London 1865, Christmas Eve

"Mother, you must tell Lizzy to give me my rabbit back!" Alice cried, racing into the room after her older sister. Lizzy darted behind the couch as her mother sighed. "Come Lizzy, must you torment your sister so?" Alice's mother begged, eyeing her needlepoint. Elizabeth sighed and threw herself onto the couch. She tossed the stuffed rabbit to the center of the room and Alice leapt on it.

"Now, children it is Christmas. You must be kind to one another." the mother explained to both her 7 and 17 year old. Elizabeth shifted against her corset and playfully stuck her tongue out at Alice.

"When will Papa be here?" Lizzy asked as Alice began to straighten the tattered waistcoat her mother had sewed for her. "Soon, darling." Just as she had finished the last syllable, the door to the large townhouse opened and closed. With it came a gust of cold air that belted down the hallway and into the warmly lit room.

"Papa! Papa is here!" Alice cried as she raced to the exhausted man in the doorway. His long nose and English eyes showed the wear of the day, yet he glowed with warmth as he took in his two daughters.

"My darlings. Merry Christmas," he called as the embraced him. Just as he began to ask his wife about her day, a cry sounded from upstairs.

"No, you sit. I'll take care of him." Lizzy said quickly to both her mother and father. She then left to tend to their little brother. Alice pulled her father over to the couch where he fell wearily against his wife.

"Your day?" she asked softly, her green eyes not leaving her work. "As usual." he replied, just as softly, stroking her hair slightly.

"Papa why must you be gone away for so long?" Alice asked at his knee. "Alice," her mother started, eyeing her.

"Your father works very hard to provide for us," With that Alice quieted and she smiled.

"Isn't that right, Rumple?"

Pain radiated through Alice's chest as a cold white light assaulted her sleep-ridden eyes. Her mind struggled to take in her blurry surroundings as the sounds that had been muffled by sleep came flooding back to her.

"No! Please stop hurting her!" a soft, feminine voice cried from her right. To her left a harsh British accent muttered some curses.

"Again!" cried a less gentle female voice. Alice once again felt pain bolt through her chest as her entire body arched. From where she lay, she could see a white wall. Her body fell limp and soon the white wall was replaced by a skinny, menacing woman.

"Oh goodie, you're finally awake. For a second there I thought we had lost you darling." Cruella said, her ring clinking on the glass in her hand.

Alice squinted at her, her dream coming back in bursts. She tried to speak, but the words couldn't form.

"W-W-where am I?" she mustered, her voice hoarse as if she had been screaming for hours.

"You're not far from where you were, but your location I'm afraid I cannot disclose in case those goodie two shoes try to contact you." Cruella said, turning her mouth downwards at the mention of Alice's friends.

"What were you doing to me?" she asked slowly, looking down at her battered body. Her dress had been cut open to reveal her under clothes and two burn spots appeared on her chest.

"I told you, we almost lost you...I won't have you escaping that easily Alice."

"You mean I died....what I saw, it must be a memory." Alice said, the dream starting to clarify.

"What you saw were lies. Lies most likely fed to you by that imp." Cruella cried, tossing the glass at the door that held Elizabeth.

"R-Rodger....no Richard....Rusty...." Alice fought to remember the name of the man in her dream. A man that looked so familiar to her. Finally the name arose.

"Rumple." Cruella turned to her, her eyes narrowing.

"What did you say?" Cruella approached her and grasped her shoulder with a boney, diamond-adorned hand.

"Rumple. That his name isn't it? You took me from him, didn't you." Alice accused as Cruella's face became hot.

"Horace, Jasper, fry her again." Cruella's two goons appeared. Horace grabbed Alice's shoulders while Jasper readied two hot prongs.

"Tell me the truth! Who are my parents, you bitch?" Alice cried, the end of her sentence morphing to a scream as the electricity jolted through her body.

"From the moment I stole you, I always had the fear that one day you'd turn on me." Cruella said, pushing Jasper to the side and pushing her nose into Alice's.

"You want to know who they really are?" she growled, her teeth clinching so tightly Alice was sure they'd fall out.

"Yes." Alice said back, mirroring her tone.

"Your parents were Rumplestiltskin and Vanessa of London." Cruella said cooly, stepping back as Jasper regained himself.

"My father is alive then. He's the man that took my magic. Does he even know who I am?" Alice asked, crestfallen.

"Of course not! How would I ever get him to help me if he knew you were his sniveling brat? Oh and your claims were wrong, you are Elizabeth's Alice...it was quite comforting to hear the hurt in her voice when you did not recognize her." Cruella spat, pouring herself another glass and chuckling.

"My mother? What happened to her?" Alice asked, afraid of what answer may await her.

Cruella chortled, swirling her glass.

"I sent her where no one will ever find her. You see, I do love being evil."

With that, Cruella walked over and turned the knob on the machine that had awoken Alice to its highest setting.

"Keep her up boys, we wouldn't want Alice learning any more than she already has."